Tall Tails

Trickey Frets, vocals & guitar – Jimmy Leslie (Honey Island Swamp Band, Guitar Player Magazine)

He was a normal guitar player and singer until he started going to Allman Brothers concerts. Over the course of many meaningful encounters with the band and its extended family, he was transformed into Trickey Frets – an amalgamation of all the guitar players and vocalists from the Allmans. One day he met a maiden named Jessica who had descended straight outta the clear Blue Sky. She became his true blue muse, the thang that made him sang!

The moment of truth came in December 2009 when Trickey put on an event via his gig at Guitar Player magazine. It was Guitar Player Presents’ fifth anniversary, a tribute to Duane Allman. Leslie became obsessed in the weeks leading up to the event. The event itself was an epiphany—it literally drove him nuts. Ask anyone—especially Jessica Blue Sky—Trickey ain’t been the same since he busted his nut at the fateful hootenanny!

Trickey has peformed at the Allman Family Revival at the Fillmore each of the past three years on Gregg Allman’s birthday (Dec 8) at the all star extravaganza led by Gregg’s son Devon Allman and Dickey’s son Duane Betts.

Allmond Boy, keys and vocals — Josh Brough (Poor Man’s Whiskey)
Every now and again the ABC is blessed with the presence of Allmond Boy, aka the Chosen Nut. He’s a founding member of the ABC who looks and sounds like he could be Gregg Allman’s own son.

Greasy Nuts, slide guitar – Jules Leyhe (Chris Cain Band, Berklee College of Music Grad)
When Greasy gets his masterful Monkey Finger goin’ slide style, well, let’s just say he’s well lubricated.

Allen’s Woody, bass – Brian Fox (Tempest, Bass Player Magazine Editor) or Steve LaBella (Mama’s Cookin’)
If the boy ain’t quite right it’s cuz he was raised in a weird outpost that came to be known as the Trippin’ Post. That’s where the ABC first started jamming. It’s a place kinda like Sanford and Son meets the Dukes of Hazzard meets the Twilight Zone. As for Woody, well if he ain’t quite right it don’t matter, cuz they boy is a maestro on bass.

Fresh Nuts keyboards – Fletcher Nielsen  (Tracorum )
One day not too long ago, he did a great deed. He saved Allmond Brothers Band keyboardist Chuck Leavell’s baby from being eaten by a dingo. The legend was so thankful that he blessed Ian with the Keys to the Kingdom, which was literally a magic set of keyboards that Key now plays in the Allmond Brothers Clan. No wonder he sounds so damn tasty!

J Flow – Jeremy Hoenig (Grammy-nominated drummer/percussionist, Black Nature)
J Flow came a rollin’ down the mountain from Tahoe in a handmade ceramic drum aimin’ for San Francisco where he’d been known to bust many a nut with Trickey Frets. A sacred groove was born when J Flow rolled up on Butch Nuts.

Butch Nuts, drums – Eric Wood (Stung, Forjour)
Woody was fixing Derek’s Truck on the side of the road smokin’ a peace pipe with a Tahoe native and swigging bootleg whiskey when the Police came fast approaching on the highway. Luckily, a yellow and black hummer came flying by out of control and distracted them. After the Police past, J Flow rolled up in his huge, homemade drum. He was on his way to San Francisco to jam with Trickey Frets who was a great guitar player in need of a rhythm section, and a special guitar.

Butch put the lug nuts on the spare tire, and passed the peace pipe to J Flow. He said that he was known as the Woodchuck because he could make anything outta wood. He went into the forest and cut down an Allmond tree, out of which he made a charmed guitar that he presented to Trickey Frets when introduced. Trickey was overjoyed, but had one burning question. “Are you wearing any underwear?” asked Trickey. “Never,” said the Woodchuck. I dub thee “Butch Nuts,” said Trickey. “Welcome to the Allmond Brothers Clan.”